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Editor and Publisher: Andy Brack Associate Publisher: Cris Temples
editorial News: Skyler Baldwin Herb Frazier Vincent Harris Maura Hogan Becky Lacey Jack O’Toole Contributors: Erin Perkins Libby Wiersema
Tripletail fish with corn purée at The Tippling House Ashley Stanol
While the Charleston summer heat can be insufferable, there are some wonderful silver linings. This new issue of Dish explores some of those rays of hope — corn, fried chicken, banana pudding and ways that chefs are cooking more healthful foods. Writer Julie Deacon spoke with local chefs to find out how they are adding intention to every ingredient to prepare luscious dishes filled with thoughtful ingredients. From fermented foods to nutrient-rich proteins, chefs are finding the same ingredients that make a dish more flavorful and can also make it more nourishing. Libby Wiersema dives into fried chicken, a dish that delivers all year long but feels especially satisfying during the summer heat. From OG versions at Bertha’s Kitchen and Martha Lou’s Kitchen (RIP!) to newer iterations, Charleston has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to a crispy bird. Erin Perkins explores banana pudding, arguably one of the most beloved Southern sweets. From the classic to the unconventional, Charleston restaurants scratch every itch when you’re looking to indulge in classic dessert.
And sweet corn is in season during the summer. Charleston restaurants — and one distillery — really know how to make it shine. You’ll find masa and hominy at Rancho Lewis, brûléed corn custard at Tippling House and a Jimmy Red corn straight bourbon whiskey at High Wire Distilling Co. And farmer Emery Tumbleston shares corn knowledge and tips (spoiler alert: corn earworms are a good thing!). Our back-page essay is by Jillian Schenzel, who recently opened wine bar Sonder with Michelle Kauczka. Schenzel explores what it means to be a female entrepreneur, a mother and a woman in her forties, and her words are as inspiring as they are informative. Finally, our Top 50 list of restaurants, the Hotlist and Charleston Classics can serve as superb guides when dining out. Crank up that AC, pull up a chair and enjoy the Lowcountry’s summer splendors! —Becky Lacey
inside
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Fried chicken frenzy
A-maize-ing corn
Beyond the plate
A certain ap peel
Bypass the gas station for a back-to-basics fried chicken dinner
Celebrating corn on the plate and in the glass
How Charleston chefs are adding intention to every ingredient
Charleston chefs obsess over banana pudding
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Charleston Classics
The Dish Top 50
The CP Hotlist
Coming together
Time-tested establishments that are sure to please
The places you’ve got to taste
Here’s where to go if you’re looking for something new
Why friendship can be a valuable business asset
sales Advertising Director: Ashley Smith Account Executives: Diana Brobmann Kristin Byars
design Art Director: Scott Suchy Graphic Designers: Christina Bailey Ashleigh Keiser Photographers: John Gaulden Ashley Rose Stanol
distribution Circulation Team: David Lampley Lillian Lacore Aidan O’Connor Simone Rivers Ryan Sherk Robert Walters Alan Wilson Published by City Paper Publishing, LLC
on the cover Banana pudding at Swig & Swine. Photo provided. Dish is a publication of the Charleston City Paper and is published quarterly by City Paper Publishing, LLC. All content is copyrighted and the property of City Paper Publishing, LLC. Charleston City Paper P.O. Box 21942 Charleston, SC 29413 (843) 577-5304 charlestoncitypaper.com
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t is Sunday supper, and all eyes are on the massive platter of fried chicken centered on the table. The sight, the smell, the expectation of that first juicy bite — all senses are on high alert. Daddy gives a blessing that concludes with a rousing “Amen!” — code for “pass the fried chicken, please.” Decorum hangs by a thread while breasts, thighs, wings and legs are equitably divvied up. At this point, mama’s strict rules of dining etiquette are somewhat loosened as grown-ups and kids alike fully surrender to their appetites. Let the gnawing begin!
Bypass the gas station for a back-to-basics fried chicken dinner
Why fried chicken is a winner
6 || DISH || Summer 2026
By Libby Wiersema
Magnolias serves about 100 fried chicken dinners daily and the recipe has stayed the same since opening in 1990
When all elements hit the mark, that first bite of fried chicken can be a gateway to gastronomic heaven. There’s a momentary resistance before the teeth shatters the crust and the eyes close involuntarily to the rush of hot grease and juices. The spices hit the palate, and the brain demands, mid-chew, that you go in for another bite of that chicken leg RIGHT NOW! That’s fried chicken done right. Add to the plate: Servings of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, green things like collards or string beans and buttery biscuits or cornbread. Bam, you have a fried chicken meal done right. As far as origins, historians credit the Scottish tradition of deepfrying chicken in lard and the West African tradition of adding spices and herbs as seasonings. It is the keepers of these traditions, having lovingly preserved and perfected these methods, who ensure that fried chicken dinners remain a core part of Southern dining. continued on page 8
Ashley Stanol
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North Charleston’s Bertha’s Kitchen fries up the late, great Albertha Grant’s fried chicken recipe
Ashley Stanol
Chicken from page 6
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Fried chicken legacies
If your mama made fried chicken, she likely learned the ropes from her own mama, who learned from her mama and so on. This time-honored ritual embedded in Southern culinary culture is an undertaking worthy of generational inheritance. Just ask diners who patronize local restaurants like Workmen’s Café on James Island, where onewoman dynamo, Angie Bellinger, has faithfully recreated her mother’s fried chicken for a new generation of appreciative diners. When she toyed with tweaking the recipe to achieve a crispier crust back in 2019, the venture was short-lived. Patrons pushed back and Bellinger herself declared, “Let me be the first to say that I DON’T LIKE IT!” Lesson: Don’t mess with perfection. A similar approach is seen in North Charleston at Bertha’s
Kitchen, where the late, great Albertha Grant’s recipes are still very much alive thanks to her daughters. In 2017, that homestyle cooking earned Bertha’s a James Beard Foundation “America’s Classics” award. It continues to live up to that honor. And who could forget the indomitable Martha Lou Gadsen, whose fried chicken (and a pink building) put Martha Lou’s Kitchen on Charleston’s culinary map? The closing of the restaurant in 2020 and subsequent passing of Gadsen in 2021 broke the hearts of a lot of fried chicken fans across Charleston and beyond. In each case, these women (and their progeny) recognized the value in preserving the fried chicken traditions handed down through the generations. From the enslaved Black women who mastered the art of frying chicken to the free Black women who used their fried chicken skills to become entrepreneurs and
on to the women who made fried chicken the star of church dinners and family suppers, the dish acquired a complicated identity born of economic practicality, communal appeal and, sadly, racial stereotyping. These days, such historical complexities rarely surface as people of all backgrounds routinely indulge in the nation’s fried chicken frenzy.
Inconvenience food
While fried chicken as convenience food is in high demand, nothing can compare to the warm, nostalgic feel of a less convenient classic fried chicken dinner. That means a chicken entrée that is brined, coated or dipped, and fried to order served up with rib-sticking comfort-food sides. Charleston chefs do their part to keep the experience Southern and accessible. While Bertha’s Kitchen and Workmen’s Café are hotspots for building amazing Southern-style
meals around fried chicken served a la carte, there are several triedand-true options for a fully plated sit-down dinner, Magnolias, which serves about 100 fried chicken dinners daily with whipped potatoes, creamed corn, collard greens, White Lily biscuits and herb gravy, certainly fits the bill. “What makes us different is we use a marinated double breast with the skin on and a simple light breading,” said Chef Kelly Franz, culinary director. “A few of Franz the recipes have evolved since Magnolias opened in 1990, but the chicken has stayed the same.” Rudy Royale made fried chicken the anchor of its menu, and it continued on page 10
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Rudy Royale uses masa flour in its fried chicken
More chicken dinner winners Other classic fried chicken dinners to try:
Poogan’s Porch 72 Queen St., Charleston poogansporch.com • Served with Hoppin’ John with country ham, collard greens and hot honey.
Page’s Okra Grill 302 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant 142 Brighton Park Blvd., Summerville pagesokragrill.com • Served with slaw and two sides.
Angel Oak Restaurant 3669 Savannah Highway, Johns Island angeloakrestaurant.com • Served with local honey, macaroni and cheese, bacon-braised collard greens.
Early Bird Diner Ashley Stanol
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Chicken from page 8 remains a strong local favorite. Owner Macready Downer said the fried chicken was a “happy accident” that occurred at Semilla, the restaurant he once owned with his sister. “We were running a fried chicken special and decided to use masa flour in the breading,” he said. “It created this incredibly crisp, flavorful crust that guests really connected with, so much so that it became one of the signature dishes on that menu.” That original recipe laid the groundwork for Rudy Royale. Its technique for fried chicken involves
overnight brining, then dredging and breading each piece twice prior to frying. Diners can order it with either honey-sea salt or Nashville hot seasonings. (Downer prefers the former.) While all that makes for great fried chicken, the choice to offer a classic plate added nostalgic appeal to the Rudy Royale dining concept. Whipped potaDowner toes, cucumber salad and a cheddar biscuit round out every fried chicken dinner.
“You have to be really careful with comfort food because everyone has expectations about how it’s made and served,” said Downer. “Fried chicken is already such an iconic dish, and we felt it deserved a recognizable cast of characters.” But no matter the recipe or who gets credit for it, in the end it is what it is. As the late, great Martha Lou Gadsen once said: “People ask me ‘Is it just fried chicken or is it really Southern fried chicken?’ I say it’s just fried chicken.” In that spirit, go ahead and arrange a napkin on your lap. But reserve the cutlery for the sides, please.
1644 Savannah Highway, Charleston earlybirddiner.com • Served with spicy honey or sage gravy and two sides.
Virginia’s on King 412 King St., Charleston virginiasonking.holycityhospitality.com • Served with choice of two sides.
Love Of…
BURGERS, BOURBON & BEER
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Hominy is the star of the show in Rancho Lewis’s vegetarian green chile pozole
Celebrating corn on the plate and in the glass By Becky Lacey
Corn is one of South Carolina’s top agricultural commodities, bringing in $290 million annually according to state data. That means big business for South Carolina and delicious produce on your plate. Chefs and distillers do beautiful things with corn in Charleston. To give you several tasty examples, we spoke with some of the city’s best about ways they celebrate this beloved summer vegetable.
Masa, corn and hominy Corn is at the core of the Rancho Lewis menu at Pitmaster John Lewis’s spot in the Charleston Neck area. You’ll find it grilled on the
“West Texas Wedge” salad and the crispy tortillas fish uses a housemilled tortilla batter and is topped with corn relish. Corn is also the foundation for the tortillas used in almost every dish. The restaurant’s corn program is in the hands of Executive Chef Isaac Watson and General Manager Patty Arredondo.
Rancho Lewis produces about 600 tortillas daily
To create hominy, Watson soaks corn for a minimum of four hours in an alkaline solution to soften the kernels and make them easier to grind into masa. The team sources from Marsh Hen Mill, using heirloom varieties like Trucker Yellow and Jimmy Red. The masa is also used for the tortillas, and Rancho Lewis produces about 600 tortillas daily. On average, the team will grind 200 to 300 pounds of masa each day. Hominy is the star of the show in Rancho Lewis’s vegetarian green chile pozole, a traditional Mexican stew.
Pearson makes an kitchen at the Tippling aromatized, savory stock House in 2024. As he told using fennel and onion Charleston City Paper the that he then finishes with following year, his cooking his vegetable stock. Pro technique is “making tip: Pearson adds turnips vegetables fun.” to his vegetable stock to He most recently showgive it more umami. cased corn broth in a dish He said corn is not just with pan-seared tripletail Pearson for savory dishes, pointing (a firm, white, and flaky to recently created a brûléed corn fish similar to red snapper and custard with strawberry preserves, grouper), zucchini, corn broth and creme fraiche and husk sugar. fennel oil.
“The idea around it was to make a fun dessert where I was going to use the entire corn,” Pearson said. “I turn the husk into sugar. I smoked it, dried it, ground it down and then mixed it with sugar so it was very fine, almost to the point where it was like powdered sugar. And then I take the cob, turn it into a stock with some warm spices to aromatize it and add some fresh continued on page 14
“People don’t always realize that hominy starts as corn. Traditionally, it’s field corn that’s dried and then nixtamalized.” —John Lewis
From broth to brûlée
Executive Chef Micah Pearson has been making magic happen with local produce since taking over the
Photos by Ashley Stanol
Executive Chef Micah Pearson recently served a brûléed corn custard with strawberry preserves, creme fraiche and husk sugar at the Tippling House
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“People don’t always realize that hominy starts as corn,” Lewis said. “Traditionally, it’s field corn that’s dried and then nixtamalized. It’s a centuries-old process where the kernels are cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution. That changes the texture, deepens the flavor and makes the nutrients more available.” At sister restaurant Lewis Barbecue, you’ll find the green chili corn pudding, the restaurant’s most popular side. This dish is a marriage of Charleston and Lewis’s hometown of El Paso. “I wanted to make something that felt Southern, but reflected where I come from,” he said. “Corn pudding is a classic southern comfort dish, and adding Hatch green chiles and cheese gives it a southwestern personality. We bake it until the edges get crispy and that idea actually came from Detroitstyle pizza, where those caramelized edges are everyone’s favorite bite.”
Corn from page 13 Madagascar vanilla.” He then purees this with the kernels and “custardizes” it with eggs and sugar, tempering it with a double boiler. Once served, it is topped with strawberry preserves and fresh mint grown on-site. “Trying to do more with less makes me more creative,” Pearson said. “There are so many colors to paint with, but you don’t need every single color. You could really make magic with one if you really needed to.”
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Corn in the bottle
Photos provided
High Wire Distilling Co.’s Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall produce Jimmy Red straight bourbon whiskey, made from a corn that was on the brink of extinction
Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall founded High Wire Distilling Co. in 2013 with a goal to explore flavors found in lost or forgotten grains. This quest is perhaps most notably seen in High Wire’s Jimmy Red straight bourbon whiskey. Jimmy Red was traditionally a moonshiner’s corn on James Island that found itself on the verge of extinction, the supply down to just two ears. In early 2014, Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills was working to bring back the varietal and he gave Blackwell and Marshall enough Jimmy Red seed to grow 2.5 acres in partnership with Clemson University. During that first year, they harvested enough corn to distill two batches. Today, the annual corn yield is over 1.3 million pounds. “Jimmy Red corn has nuanced layers of complex flavor that unfold in the fermentation, distillation and barrel aging process,” Marshall said. “The flavor inherent in Jimmy Red is driven largely by the colors red (cinnamic acid) and blue (anthocyanin) which contribute notes of baking spice, cinnamon, mace and tropical fruit. Jimmy Red also contains an exceptional amount of oil which translates to the distillate and contributes to the creamy mouthfeel of the bourbon.” Marshall noted that since the beginning, she and Blackwell have relied on a group of research farmers to help create a scaling process for viable commercial pro continued on page 16
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Corn from page 14 duction of Jimmy Red. “We barrel by farm, so every single barrel of Jimmy Red filled in our facility is labeled with a farm name indicating the provenance of the corn used in that batch,” Marshall explained. “What began as a great experiment has now become one of the most unique attributes of Jimmy Red bourbon. Place matters, and a trained palate can discern the differences in flavor from farm to farm and region to region. So many industry experts told us this would be impossible, and we’ve been delighted to prove them wrong.”
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In the field
Emery Tumbleston’s family owns and operates Champneys Farm, the former blueberry operation off U.S. Highway 17 west of Charleston. She’s the youngest generation of growers on the farm, where her father first planted blueberries in 1995 when he worked for the Charleston Navy. Champneys opened to the public in 2004 when it was mainly a “you-pick” blueberry operation. In 2023, the farm moved to Meggett. Blueberries take years to yield a marketable crop, and Tumbleston wanted to experiment with sweet corn as it’s a faster crop (the family had always planted a little corn for themselves). In 2025, she planted a third of an acre and this year, she planted an acre with drip irrigation. “Corn is a crop where it’s pretty much all ready at one time,” Tumbleston said. “If you want corn for multiple weeks or multiple months, you have to stagger those plantings usually every 10 days to two weeks to get a constant harvest.” She starts picking corn at 6 a.m., or as soon as she can see outside. With corn, Tumbleston explained, you want to pick it and cool it down as soon as possible. The warmer the corn is and the longer you wait to eat it, the higher the chance it will lose its sweetness and become starchy. And when it comes to selecting corn, she has one very impassioned plea: do not get spooked by corn earworms.
Emery Tumbleston and her nephew Champney (top right). Tumbleston says corn earworms (right) are nothing to fear on fresh corn — just cut around them. “Corn earworms have to do with public perception,” Tumbleston said. “Corn earworms are a harmless, little thing. In my family, we have always cut the top of the corn off. I get pretty discouraged when I see people that just see a corn earworm on the top one inch of that ear and
then don’t even give it a chance on the rest of that corn. “You know the old saying was, ‘if there’s not a worm on it, I don’t want it.’ If there’s not a worm or animal that wants to eat it, chances are it doesn’t taste worth a dang and you don’t want to eat it.’ ”
Photos courtesy Champneys Farm
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Beyond the
Charleston has long been recognized as one of the country’s premier culinary destinations — a place where generations of Lowcountry traditions meet innovation. Chefs push the boundaries of Southern cuisine and the dining scene honors its roots while embracing new ideas. These days, that evolution is taking shape in another way. Chefs are placing greater emphasis on the ingredients behind every dish — not by removing flavor or following trends, but by adding thoughtful elements that enhance the cuisine. From fermented foods to nutrient-rich proteins, chefs are finding that the same ingredients that make a dish more flavorful can also make it more nourishing. Rather than viewing wellness as a separate category, many Charleston chefs see it as a natural extension of thoughtful cooking.
plate
How Charleston chefs are adding intention to every ingredient By Julie Deacon
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Flavor first at The Harbinger Cafe and Bakery
The Harbinger’s Greens and Grains bowl is a daily salad bowl with a variety of veggies
Courtesy The Harbinger
For The Harbinger Cafe and Bakery, fresh ingredients have always been at the center of the menu. Tucked along the northern stretch of King Street, the neighborhood café has built a loyal following through its handcrafted breakfast and lunch offerings, house-made pastries and extensive selection of plant-based, vegetarian and gluten-free options. For co-owner Greer Gilchrist, the focus has never been on adding ingredients simply because they are considered healthy. Instead, the café’s approach begins with flavor. “We don’t focus on the nutritional value of foods,” Gilchrist said. “We do try to work with fresh produce as much as possible. Leaning on fruits and veggies for their flavors instead of other ingredients like white sugar and fats provides a better depth of flavor.” At the Harbinger, fruits, vegetables, grains and seeds are incorporated throughout the menu because they create more interesting and balanced dishes. Gilchrist said the goal is to create food that is both satisfying and memorable while
“I notice that most of our guests come to us because they want something delicious and they know they can find a healthy balance of ingredients with us,” Gilchrist said. “They’ll get a salad and a cookie, they’ll get an avocado toast and a strawberry matcha.” For Gilchrist, that balance represents a more sustainable approach to wellness — one rooted in trust, quality ingredients and food that simply tastes good. “We try to avoid trends and stick to our ethos of making food we feel good about serving to our community, full of local, seasonal, fresh ingredients,” she said.
Bringing seasonal ingredients beyond the table at Park and Grove
Park and Grove uses ingredients that are minimally processed and harvested at their peak Courtesy Park and Grove
—The Harbinger Cafe and Bakery co-owner Greer Gilchrist
leaving guests feeling good. The café’s salads, for example, are built around fresh vegetables, grains and house-made dressings. Customers have also embraced offerings like matcha drinks and avocado toast that reflect a broader shift toward balance rather than restriction.
continued on page 20
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“We do try to work with fresh produce as much as possible. Leaning on fruits and veggies for their flavors instead of other ingredients like white sugar and fats provides a better depth of flavor.”
Just steps from Hampton Park in Charleston’s Wagener Terrace neighborhood, Park and Grove has built its reputation around a menu that moves with the seasons. The restaurant highlights fresh ingredients sourced from local farms, fields and waters, creFincher ating dishes that feel both vibrant and approachable. That same philosophy extends to the restaurant’s private event and catering offerings. Executive Chef Will Fincher said the restaurant’s approach begins with sourcing ingredients that are minimally processed and harvested at their peak. “The most nutritious ingredients are the ones that are in season, minimally processed, grown locally on smaller farms and without pesticides,” Fincher said. For Fincher, nutrition is not about adding a single trendy ingredient or following a specific movement. Instead, it comes from working with farmers, producers and ingredients that are treated with care from the beginning. At Park and Grove, that
Ingredients from page 19 philosophy is reflected in dishes like the Carolina Gold rice bowl and falafel smash burger, which have become guest favorites. The restaurant has also increasingly incorporated vegetables, locally grown mushrooms and seasonal produce throughout its menu. “We’ve intentionally shifted toward incorporating more vegetables throughout our menu rather than relying on heavier starches to carry a dish,” Fincher said. As Park and Grove expands its catering program, including new boxed lunch offerings designed for corporate events, Fincher said the goal remains the same: creating food that feels fresh, satisfying and connected to the season. “Flavor always comes first,” Fincher said. “Fortunately, some of the healthiest preparations are also the simplest.”
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Thoughtful technique at the Restaurant at Zero George At the Restaurant at Zero George, healthfulness is not treated as a separate culinary category. Instead, Executive Chef Vinson Petrillo said the restaurant’s approach begins with careful sourcing, preservation and preparation. “We never intentionally incorporated ingredients to boost the nutritional value,” Petrillo said. “Our intention has always been Petrillo finding the best product, local or international, which are produced with the utmost care, inherently making them more nutritional.” That ingredient-driven philosophy is reflected throughout the restaurant’s menu, where whole foods and traditional techniques play a central role. One area where that approach is especially visible is fermentation.
Drew Somerville
The Restaurant at Zero George’s oysters are served with preserved kohlrabi, a process that uses salt, ramp bulbs and lemon “We have a strong focus on fermentation in the restaurant,” he said. “Preservation has always been at the forefront of Zero George, not only for health benefits, but to bring added flavor to our dishes.” One example is preserved kohlrabi served with the restaurant’s oyster dish. The ingredient undergoes a simple lacto-fermentation process using salt, ramp bulbs and lemon before being cold fermented for several weeks, creating a crisp and acidic addition that complements the dish. For Petrillo, the future of food is not necessarily about adding wellness-focused ingredients for the sake of a trend. Instead, it is about making intentional choices about what goes into each dish. “I don’t think I ever necessarily intended to make healthy food. Rather, I think I naturally arrived at it,” he said. “But I do believe we make conscious decisions when it
“Preservation has always been at the forefront of Zero George, not only for health benefits, but to bring added flavor to our dishes.” —The Restaurant at Zero George Executive Chef Vinson Petrillo comes to the ingredients we source and the care we put into not only the product itself but also our guests’ experience.”
Rediscovering traditional ingredients at Stems and Skins At Park Circle’s Stems and Skins, the idea of nutrient-rich food is not a recent shift, but a philosophy that has shaped the restaurant’s menu
for years. Chef Connor Simonson has built the wine bar and bottle shop’s offerings around what he describes as “blue zone-minded” foods — ingredients and traditions associated with longevity, balance and mindful eating. Simonson focuses on ingredients that have long been part of culinary traditions around the world, including fermented foods, preserved ingredients and nutrient-dense sources of protein. One of the restaurant’s signature offerings is tinned seafood, which makes up nearly half of the menu.
SIX DIFFERENT WAYS TO SAVOR THE EXPERIENCE.
Rūta Smith
Stems and Skins is known for its tinned seafood offerings, including anchovies on its Caesar salad ingredients represent a connection between past and present — a reminder that many modern conversations around wellness are rooted in longstanding culinary practices. “Tinned seafood has been a mainstay of many cultures for generations,” Simonson said. “It has taken many years for us to teach guests about our passion for the product, but we gain more converts each year and we love the community it has built.” Through ingredients that are both traditional and thoughtfully sourced, Stems and Skins demonstrates that the future of dining may not always come from something new. Sometimes, it comes from rediscovering what has been on the table all along.
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“Tinned fish is almost half of our menu and has been for years,” Simonson said. “As Americans’ knowledge base has grown to embrace this nutrient-rich source of protein, we will continue to source high-quality tins from around the world and make them available daily to enjoy at the bar or take home.” Beyond seafood, Simonson also incorporates traditional preservation techniques throughout the menu. Dishes like whipped ricotta with garlic fermented honey highlight the role fermented ingredients can play in both flavor and nutrition. Simonson said fermented foods have supported human diets for thousands of years, offering benefits tied to digestion, inflammation and nutrient absorption. For him, these
Charleston chefs obsess over banana pudding
22 || DISH || Summer 2026
By Erin Perkins
Diners love Home Team BBQ’s banana pudding at its original West Ashley location
anana pudding, like many Southern favorites, is usually best when it’s made by someone’s grandmother. There’s something about a deft matriarchal hand that finesses those banana slices like none other. But what if you don’t have a mam-maw to make you the classic dessert? Charleston has a variety of banana pudding options across the city.
A classic dessert around town
Banana pudding is a crowd favorite at Summerville’s Swank Desserts
The Aneris Collective
A slow shot of a scoop of banana pudding captured her audience’s attention and went viral. She said that new customers started lining up within a few days of her social media success. “We used to sell maybe 30 [puddings] a week,” she said. ”Now that’s on the low end of what we can sell in a day.”
Some secrets
Anthony DiBernardo, pitmaster and owner of Swig and Swine, did not grow up eating traditional banana pudding in Mantua, N.J. But he has fond memories of his mother’s icebox cake version. She dipped graham crackers in chocolate and layered them with sliced bananas, pudding and whipped
cream. At DiBernardo’s restaurant, he keeps it more traditional. When asked the secret to his textbook-perfect pudding, he said, “There’s no secrets — it’s real. We make our custard. I think that’s the only secret.” The base is a custard made with continued on page 24
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Maison Dubé
Swank Desserts owner Danetra Richardson grew up eating banana pudding in Virginia Beach, Va. “It is probably my favorite dessert that my mom made before I learned how to make it better,” she said. “She likes mine better now, so I can admit that.” Banana pudding is a staple at her Summerville shop, but it wasn’t always that way. The item ended up on the menu by accident. “I was actually making a banana mousse filling for a banana creme brulee doughnut, and then when I torched it, it melted all over the place,” she said. “I didn’t want to waste the rest of it, so I ended up layering it with some little wafers and just put it in the case, just as a special.” As soon as the shop ran out of pudding, calls started coming in asking when they would have more. Richardson decided to bring it back, and now she can never take it off the menu. “When people think Swank, nine times out of 10, they will say, ‘You need to try the banana pudding while you’re there.’” The secret to Swank’s version is that the team makes the pudding completely from scratch. “We don’t use Jell-O pudding,” Richardson said. “We’ve perfected our technique over the years. The texture is very silky and creamy and it’s rich, but it’s also nice and light and fluffy.” Another reason Swank has become synonymous with the Southern dessert is its viral fame. Richardson posted a video about the shop’s offerings in 2024.
Banana from page 23 eggs, flour, sugar and milk. The mixture is cooled overnight and then layered with banana slices, Nilla wafers and whipped cream. But over at Burbage’s Grocery on Broad Street, there is a secret to what makes its version of the Southern treat so delicious. “It’s sour cream,” says store co-owner Lisa Bowen. The vanilla pudding is created with a mix of whole milk and sour cream, she said. Bananas and Nilla wafers are folded in after. The addition of sour cream tempers the sweetness, making the dish more balanced. Bowen borrowed the recipe from her mother, Lyndal Fields, though she said her aunt Jeanine Weatherford was always in charge of bringing the dessert to family events. The banana pudding isn’t at the corner store every day because it’s
Erin Perkins
serving charleston with love
24 || DISH || Summer 2026
theindigoroad.com
Burbage’s Grocery uses sour cream in its banana pudding
popular (though not as much as the chicken salad) and only one person makes the dish: the owners’ daughter, Taylor Bowen. Though she recently admitted she doesn’t really care for banana pudding, the duty fell to her.
From simple to nontraditional
When thinking about banana pudding for the menu at My Three Sons, co-owner Lorraine Smalls knew she didn’t want to make her mother’s version. “My mom used to bake it,” she said, “I never liked the baked stuff. It takes a little time and a lot of stuff goes in it.” Lorraine co-founded the Gullah restaurant with her son Antwan Smalls and the late Alice “Ms. Alice” continued on page 26
Charleston newcomer Mother’s Ruin makes a non-traditional banana pudding hand pie
AJ Netherland
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Warren. The North Charleston destination is known for Lowcountry classics, from seafood rice to she crab soup to deviled crabs. And when it comes to the banana pudding, the kitchen keeps it simple. My Three Sons uses banana-flavored pudding mix and adds milk and a bit of Cool Whip to make it creamier. The result is a bright yellow base for adding sliced bananas and Nilla wafers. The dessert is sweet, but it’s nothing in comparison to the restaurant’s sugar-filled sweet tea. Antwan once urged his mother to switch to vanilla-flavored pudding, but Lorraine didn’t care for it. “Everybody tries to make the pudding so fancy now,” said Lorraine. “They want to put [Pepperidge Farm] Chessmen cookies in it, but I’m old-school.” In a decidedly unclassic move, Upper King Street newcomer Mother’s Ruin offers a banana pudding hand pie on its menu. The bar, which comes to Charleston
by way of New York, is known for its cheeky takes on bar classics and raucous throwdowns. So why would it stick to the tried-and-true version of the dessert? The Mother’s Ruin version takes the dish to another level of indulgence. The pudding is stuffed into flaky, buttery empanada dough and then deep-fried. It is then drizzled with a caramel sauce and served with a whipped cream infused with Galliano, a sweet Italian liqueur. It’s not traditional Southern, but Southerners do love to fry things. “The reaction has been great,” says Mother’s Ruin Director of Culinary Mark Grimes. “People recognize the flavor right away but are intrigued by the format. Once they try it, it clicks. Guests often order it out of curiosity and then come back for it on future visits.” If you need to outsource your banana pudding duties this summer, there’s a version for every taste out there. Unless you don’t like bananas; then we can’t help you.
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In alphabetical order.
82 Queen (1982) SOUTHERN Moderate Downtown. 82 Queen St. (843) 723-7591 82queen.com Serving Dinner (daily), Lunch (Mon.-Fri.) and Sunday Brunch
Slightly North of Broad’s shrimp and grits Rūta Smith file photo
Charleston Classics Time-tested establishments that are sure to please
28 || DISH || Summer 2026
By City Paper staff With so many great restaurants in Charleston, we thought it would be helpful to have a list of great longtime, proven restaurants that always offer an outstanding experience to create some space in our Top 50 list for the increasing volume of places where you can get a superb meal. Here are 10 Charleston Classic restaurants that we return to time and time again, knowing we’re going to have an enjoyable evening with food prepared by masters.
The story goes that in 1982, three local restaurateurs decided to open a restaurant that focused on fresh, local cuisine and quintessential Southern hospitality. The result was longstanding French Quarter favorite, 82 Queen, which serves tasty, Southern fare, from fried green tomatoes to shrimp and grits. You’d be remiss, though, to visit the spot without ordering its famous she-crab soup. 82 Queen’s sous chef Lamont Ferrebee said the 43-year-old restaurant’s soup, made with a pound of white crab meat, is a longtime favorite for a reason: “Experience and consistency are the keys to any great product, and our she-crab soup is no different.”
Bertha’s Kitchen (1981) SOUL FOOD Inexpensive Downtown. 2332 Meeting Street Road (843) 554-6519 Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Fri.)
Head up Meeting Street until you see a two-story robin’s egg blue building with purple trim and a line stretching out the door. The Southern soul food platters here are so tasty, generous and inexpensive, that the line starts forming well before it’s open for lunch. Businessmen, laborers and far-flung tourists alike shuffle through the quick cafeteria-style service counter loaded with a smorgasbord of meat and threes, such as fried pork chops, fish specials, yams, stewed greens, home-style mac-and-cheese, limas nestled with smoked turkey necks, dark roux okra soup, moist cornbread and fried chicken better than anyone’s Grandma ever made. Bertha’s building was announced for sale earlier this year, but has since been taken off the market.
Bowens Island Restaurant (1946) SEAFOOD Moderate James Island. 1870 Bowens Island Road (843) 795-2757 bowensisland.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
Don’t expect white tablecloth and maitre d’service at Bowens Island. It’s famously no frills, but it’s worth it. The nightly crowds are a testament to the family fish camp. Since its founding in 1946, it’s grown from a grimy, albeit quaint, cinder block outpost to a pluff-mud pantheon that offers up damn good fried seafood, hushpuppies and cold local beer in its upstairs dining room. Follow your nose downstairs and elbow-out yourself a space at the all-you-can-eat oyster tables and slurp down tasty local oysters by the shovelful that were likely pulled off the marsh that day. Oyster season or not, we have a hard time passing up the Frogmore Stew, a pot full of potatoes, sausage, corn on the cob and shrimp steamed together as God intended it.
Dave’s Carry-Out (1997) SOUL FOOD/SEAFOOD Inexpensive Downtown. 42-C Morris St. (843) 577-7943 facebook.com/daves-carryout-111720082197029 Serving Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
This soul food joint offers a true taste of Charleston. For under $10 you can get a takeout box filled to the brim with the best of Lowcountry cooking like pork chops, crispy chicken wings and finger-lickin’ ribs. The selection of sides is small but tasty — try the lima beans, thick steak fries, or rice. The lunch specials change daily, but your best bet is to go with a seafood platter, which ranges from $10 for a generous portion of shrimp to $20 for shrimp, fish, scallops and deviled crab. If you want a true local experience, opt for the lima beans and rice. It’s meaty and filling. A few tables allow customers to dine in, but most folks get their Dave’s to-go, whether for lunch or a greasy latenight snack. continued on page 30
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Classics from page 28
FIG (2003) MODERN AMERICAN Expensive Downtown. 232 Meeting St. (843) 805-5900 eatatfig.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
30 || DISH || Summer 2026
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STEAKHOUSE Expensive Downtown. 434 King St. (843) 727-0090 hallschophouse.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Thurs.), Lunch (Sat.-Sun.)
Sure, there are newer and “hotter” restaurants, but Halls Chophouse is a special occasion classic for a reason. You can’t get better service with your steak, the wine list includes some unexpected offerings and the cocktails are generous. And the steak, of course, is fabulous. Pro tip: order the giant tomahawk cut and split it. One diner told us to order any of the dried aged steaks, especially if you need a reason to cry tears of joy. “While I have only eaten there a few times for dinner,” he said. “I dream of the next opportunity to go back.”
G&M Fast and French
Oak Steakhouse (2005)
FRENCH Moderate Downtown. 98 Broad St. (843)-577-9797 fastandfrenchcharleston.com Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (daily)
NEW GOOSE CREEK LOCATION
Halls Chophouse (2009)
In 2003, chef Mike Lata set out to prove that “food is good.” After blazing a trail for the robust local farm-to-table restaurant scene, FIG still stands out, winning awards and creating devotees year after year. Although snagging a reservation can be a challenge, the seasonally inspired cuisine and impeccable service are worth the effort. Change is a constant, but stalwart menu standbys, like the pillowy ricotta gnocchi alla bolognese, never fail to satisfy. Be sure to check out the wine offerings, as — along with two nods for Best Chef Southeast — FIG is also a national James Beard award-winner for Outstanding Wine Program.
(1984)
The Best Food Under the Sun!
a memorial. Fast and French walks the line between relevant and quaint, trendy and authentic, and it keeps things wallet-friendly.
Gaulart and Maliclet Café, also known as Fast and French, has graced Charleston for more than four decades. While it certainly doesn’t have trouble keeping seats filled, this luscious little jewel doesn’t get half of the praise it deserves. Any place that can actually survive in a downtown location for 40 years is practically
STEAKHOUSE Expensive Downtown. 17 Broad St. (843) 722-4220 oaksteakhouserestaurant.com Serving Dinner (daily)
Located in a restored 150-year-old bank building, Oak is a long-running favorite for a big Charleston night out. Hefty prime ribeyes and strips are the main attractions, with luxurious family-style accompaniments like creamy whipped potatoes and lobster mac and cheese. Within the traditional steakhouse format, there is always a twist
or two, like a daily local seafood special or beef belly with sorghum barbecue sauce. The deep wine list focuses on California reds, and the service is reliably top-notch, regardless of whether you eat downstairs in the bar area, with its exposed brick walls and clubby red leather booths, or at the white cloth-draped tables in the second story dining room, its high windows looking out over Broad Street.
Peninsula Grill (1997) NEW SOUTHERN Very Expensive Downtown. 112 N. Market St. (843) 723-0700 peninsulagrill.com Serving Dinner (daily)
There are milestones in life that require a fancy steak. Or at least the kind of place where one can get a fancy steak. If you’re in the midst of such an occasion, Peninsula Grill has got you covered. Even after more than two decades, Peninsula Grill continues to impress with its luxurious fare. Pro tip: Don’t forget a slice of the spot’s iconic coconut cake.
Slightly North of Broad (1993)
NEW SOUTHERN Expensive Downtown. 192 East Bay St. (843) 723-3424 snobcharleston.com Serving Lunch (Mon.-Fri.), Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch
Slightly North of Broad is the perfect place to take visiting friends for their first taste of Charleston cuisine, for it embodies so much of what makes the city’s dining scene special. Since taking the reins in 2016, executive chef Russ Moore has deftly balanced the restaurant’s traditional dishes with more forward-looking fare. Pristinely fresh seafood gets an elegant Southern touch on plates like New Bedford scallops with tomato ham hock broth or seared tuna topped with crisp fried oysters and tart yellow “mustard Q” sauce. SNOB was a local charcuterie pioneer and a platter of hearty country pate, savory pork rillettes and lush chicken liver mousse is the perfect evening starter.
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Rice pudding at The Grocery
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The places you’ve got to taste The Dish Top 50 is an incredible resource that will keep you focused on some of Charleston’s best places to eat without having to filter through endless online suggestions. Our curated list from a panel of experienced foodies includes places where you can have incredible, internationally inspired dining experiences, such as Bintü Atelier or Savor the Lowcountry with Kultura. For more casual joints, head to Berkeley’s and Leon’s — spots Savor thethe Lowcountry Savor Lowcountry waterfront dining on beautiful that are special in their unique ways. As you can see from this list, with waterfront dining with dining Shemwaterfront Creek! there’s no shortage of fantastic dining experiences in Charleston. on beautiful Shem Creek! on beautiful Shem Creek! What sets these 50 establishments apart isn’t price or location. • Selection of 200+ Wines ofof ••Selection It’s the dedication each eatery puts into providing dining memories. • Selection Fresh seafood This is the list to give to family or friends who are visiting. It’s the list Wines Favorites 200+ Wines •200+ Lowcountry to scan through when you’re undecided and looking to remember a ••Fresh Seafood Cabana Bar Happy Hour • Fresh Seafood place where you had a great meal or find a new one. Enjoy. Live Music on wekekend
In alphabetical order:
167 Raw Oyster Bar SEAFOOD Expensive Downtown. 193 King St. (843) 579-4997 167raw.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)
Surrounded by high-end boutiques, swanky inns, antique stores and art galleries, 167 Raw’s King Street home sits along a quiet stretch of storefronts. But fear not, it still boasts the same lineup of New England bivalves and lobster rolls that were much-lauded at its existing original (and teeny) spot at 289 East Bay St., which now operates as 167 Sushi Bar. The first floor of 167 Raw’s ever-so-charming 19th century building is long and narrow, with original brick walls and a walnut bar. Even with four times (at least) as much seating as its original space, 167 Raw gets packed. Arrive early to tuck into your 10-hour carnita taco and tuna burger.
Basic Kitchen
In a city filled with hearty Southern cuisine, sometimes it’s tricky to find a flavorful, light meal. Not the case at Basic Kitchen. According to co-owner Ben Towill, that has been exactly the goal since opening the restaurant with his wife Kate in 2017. “We want to provide massive
• Lowcountry Favorites • Lowcountry Favorites • Cabana Bar Happy Hour Shrimp & • Cabana Bar Happy Hour Grits Live Music on weekends flavor and a meal that’s hearty but Live Music on weekends 10am-2pm
ER
SUNDAY BRUNCH
still feels light,” he said. BK’s lunch ALL YOU-CARE-TO EAT10am–2pm BUFFET and menus are divided into small 10am–2pm PLUS BUILD YOUR OWN BLOODY MARY BAR! plates, bowls, salads and sandSavor the Lowcountry wiches. Start withwith the waterfront ever-pop- dining All you-care-to eat Buffet. AllPlus you-care-to eat Buffet. on beautifulwings Shem Creek! ular corn ribs or cauliflower build your own Bloody Mary Bar! then dig into heartier fare likeofthe Plus build your own Bloody Mary Bar! • Selection salmon bowl, served200+ withWines grilled MAHI-M RMILIO 1407 Shrimp BoatVELane Fresh Seafood AHI salmon, Carolina •Gold rice, mari(DM SNAPPERN OLAPH HIINM FISAHH) I 1407 Shrimp Boat Lane (843) 884-40741407 Shrimp Boat Lane | (843)(D884-47074 • Lowcountry Favorites nated cabbage, carrot ginger salad, OLPHIN FISH) 884-4074 waters-edge-restaurant.com | waters-edge-restaurant.com • Cabana Bar Happy Hour(843) cucumber, seaweed, furikake and orange miso sauce. Live Music on weekendswaters-edge-restaurant.com
SUNDAYBRUNCH BRUNCH SUNDAY
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Berkeley’s SUNDAY BRUNCH SHEM CREEK! The place to be for Live Music & Great Food 10am–2pm
SANDWICHES AND SUPPERS All you-care-to eat Buffet. Moderate Plus build your own Bloody Mary Bar! Downtown, 624½ Rutledge Ave. (843) 501-7779 1407 Shrimp Boat Lane eatatberkeleys.com (843) 884-4074 waters-edge-restaurant.com Serving Lunch, Dinner, Wed.-Mon)
MAHI-M
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Soak in the NorthSHEM Central neighCREEK! The place to be for Live Music & Great Food Live Music Friday & Saturday 6:30-9:30pm | Sunday 5-8pm borhood from the front patio and WATERFRONT DINING escape King Street crowds at this 2 OUTDOOR BARS EVERY WEEKEND AT DINING spot that feels like going over to a WATERFRONT WATERFRONT FAVORITE FOR BOTH friend’s home for dinner. Berkeley’s 2 AOUTDOOR BARS DINING EVERY WEEKEND AT LOCALS & VISITORS keeps its menu relatively simple 2 OUTDOOR BARS A FAVORITE FOR BOTH BEAUTIFUL but packs big flavor into each dish LOCALS & VISITORS A FAVORITE FOR BOTH with plenty of options for meatLOCALS & VISITORS WATERFRONT DINING Live Music Friday & Saturday 6:30-9:30pm BEAUTIFUL eaters and vegetarians alike. Opt THE DOCK IS ROCKIN’ Sunday 5-8pm OUTDOOR BARS for a traditional or2vegetarian EVERY WEEKEND AT BEAUTIFUL A FAVORITE FOR BOTH cheesesteak (made with mushLive Music Friday & Saturday 6:30-9:30pm DDO OGGS SUNSETS LOCALS & VISITORS S WEEL Sunday 5-8pm W rooms) or select another savory ME LCCO OM E BEAUTIFUL sandwich. If you’ve craving someDOGS thing heavier, look to chicken or Live Music Friday & Saturday 6:30-9:30pm WELCOME Tuesdays Tuesdays5-10pm 5-10pm Sunday 5-8pm eggplant parmesan, cavatappi or SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT hanger steak. One satisfied diner DOGS Drink &&Half WELCO Drink Specials HalfOff offSelect selectAppetizers appetizers ME Specials Tuesdays 5-10pm said, “The spicy shrimp polenta appetizer has been on my mind Lunch / Dinner & Lunch/Dinner &Sunday SundayBrunch Brunch Tuesdays 5-10pm for weeks since I first tried it. It’s Drink Specials & Half Off Select Appetizers SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT filling, flavorful and definitely 1313 Shrimp Boat Ln. (843) 884-4440 VickerysShemCreek.com Drink Specials & Half Off Select Appetizers more than enough to share. Pair it Lunch / Dinner & Sunday Brunch Lunch / Dinner & Sunday Brunch (843) 884-4440 with the smoked salmon dip if 1313 Shrimp Boat Lane VickerysShemCreek.com 1313 ShrimpVickerysShemCreek.com Boat Ln. (843) 884-4440 VickerysShemCreek.com 1313 Shrimp Boat Ln. (843) 884-4440
THE DOCK IS ROCKIN’
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SUNSETS
SUNSETS
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continued on page 34
Mt Pleasant
DRINK DRINKSPECIALS SPECIALS FROZEN DRINKS FROZEN DRINKS DRINK SPECIALS
FROZEN DRINKS NIGHT SERVICE INDUSTRY
SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT
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CAFE Moderate Downtown. 82 Wentworth St. (843) 789-4568 basickitchen.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Mon.-Sat.), Weekend Brunch
VVEERRMMILILIO NN SSNNAAPPPEIO PR
Top 50 Top 50 from page 33 you want to start your meal with a decadent seafood spread.”
Bintü Atelier AFRICAN Moderate Downtown. 8 Line St. (347)249-6594 Serving Lunch, Dinner (Thurs-Sunday)
This small restaurant in Charleston’s Eastside serves delicious African cuisine to excited guests who are eager to dive into familiar favorites like jollof rice, a fluffy rice dish with a connection to Charleston’s own red rice. Diners can also dig into dishes like goat egusi, a ground melon seed stew with pumpkin, spinach and a red pepper sauce, served with a side of starchy fufu. Chef N’Daw Young has cooked and traveled around the world, from her homelands of Senegal and France to various countries in Africa, Europe and the U.S., landing in New York before moving to Charleston. Vegetarian options offered.
Bistronomy by Nico
34 || DISH || Summer 2026
FRENCH Expensive Downtown. 64 Spring St. (843) 410-6221 bistronomybynico.com Serving Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch
One month after getting the keys to 64 Spring St., Bistronomy by Nico co-owners Nico Romo and Dominique Chantepie opened the French bistro after revamping the space previously occupied by Josephine Wine Bar. The cuisine mirrors the vibrant atmosphere and draws on celebrated dishes from Romo’s 10 years at Fish, which closed in 2017 after 17 years on King Street. Romo calls Bistronomy’s menu approachable French cuisine with an Asian fusion twist. The menu changes seasonally, but at the time of publishing, it included items like frog legs, 24-hour short ribs, bouillabaisse and escargot rice dumplings. If you want to sample Romo’s fare in Mount Pleasant, his original bistro NICO sits right off of Shem Creek.
Courtesy Cane Pazzo
Cane Pazzo’s tiramisu is one of the reasons the restaurant won best new restaurant in City Paper’s 2026 Best of Charleston awards
Cane Pazzo ITALIAN Moderate Hanahan. 1276 Yeamans Hall Road (843) 974-3647 canepazzorestaurant.com Serving Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday
Chef-owner and Charleston native Mark Bolchoz, an alumnus of
Peninsula Grill, the Grocery, Indaco and a former culinary director of Italian concepts for the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, opened Cane Pazzo along with his wife Ariana. Since the start, the restaurant has been dazzling diners. City Paper readers, in fact, crowned it as the area’s best new restaurant in the newspaper’s 2026 Best of
Charleston awards. It offers handmade pastas, wood-fired proteins and shareable plates that highlight Lowountry seasonality. You’ll find dishes like heirloom tomato toast with burrata, pickled sweet peppers, arugula and sherry vinaigrette shine alongside risotto with corn, confit peppers, red onion, Serrano and pancetta. A thoughtful cocktail
Our go-to restaurant list
list accompanies an exclusively Italian wine list, followed by desserts like tiramisu and affogato.
lier. With such a dynamic menu, any review of Chez Nous is by necessity a fleeting snapshot.
Chef Loong Dim Sum
Chubby Fish
CHINESE Moderate 1662 Savannah Highway, Suite 105 (843) 225-8225 chefloongdimsum.com Serving Dinner (Wed.-Mon.), Lunch (Thurs.-Sun.)
SEAFOOD Expensive Downtown. 252 Coming St. (843) 222-3949 chubbyfishcharleston.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
If you haven’t ever tried authentic Chinese soup dumplings, or Xiaolongbao (which means “little basket bun”), you don’t know what you’re missing. But now there’s a shopping center restaurant where you can revel in these delicious bites. These delicate, addictive pouches contain a sweet or savory filling suspended in soup and wrapped in a thin dumpling dough. “We make everything ourselves,” Chef Emely Yan told the City Paper recently. “Like our own chili oil and different kinds of peppers to make our own spices.” Also featured are hand-pulled Xi’an noodles, Peking duck, five-spice chicken and entrees with Sichuan chili heat.
Chez Nous FRENCH Expensive Downtown. 6 Payne Court (843) 579-3060 cheznouschs.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sun.),
The basic babe
SAVOR YOUR SUNDAY Chocolate Chip Waffles
Coda del Pesce ITALIAN/SEAFOOD Expensive Isle of Palms. 1130 Ocean Blvd. (843) 242-8570 codadelpesce.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
With Coda del Pesce, longtime area chef/owner Ken Vedrinski created a comfortable beachside Italian seafood restaurant that offers great tastes with an ocean view thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s an ideal setting for Vedrinski’s signature high-end Italian fare, which offers plenty of bright flavors and unexpected twists. Masterful fresh pasta anchors the primi selection, which may include ricotta gnudi tossed with mushrooms, guanciale and vacche rosse parmesan cheese. The menu’s secondi include fresh fish ranging from a “Torcino style” swordfish or stir-fried triggerfish. Pair any of these with an Italian continued on page 36
I’ve Got My Hash Patty 828 Savannah Hwy. | 843-377-1300 | trianglecharandbar.com
charlestoncitypaper.com || 35
Sun. Brunch Most mornings before lunch, the Chez Nous Instagram feed (@ cheznouscharleston) features a picture of the day’s menu, handwritten in black ink on a small white card in executive chef Jill Mathias’ eccentric and highly stylized script. Next comes a separate picture of each and every dish being served that day, taken from above in flawless light. Admittedly, it’s only seven pictures total, since Chez Nous serves just two starters, two entrees and two desserts, and the selection changes daily. The setting is charmingly old and the cuisine European-inspired, but it’s hardly a throwback to an older mode of dining. Chez Nous stands alone just as it is, an eccentric out-
Celebrated executive chef James London serves a hyper-local, daily changing menu at this vibrant Coming Street restaurant, which opened in June 2018. And while the fish selection may vary, London is known for a few signature preparations. Expect raw oysters, crudos and likely one small plate that incorporates caviar. We recommend ordering several dishes and sharing with the group before finishing off with sweets from Life Raft Treats’ Cynthia Wong, who supplies Chubby Fish with dessert. Chubby Fish doesn’t take reservations, but it’s well worth the wait for one of 30 or so seats inside a restaurant that prides itself on turning under utilized types of fish into dishes you’ll crave for weeks.
Date night, elevated
Join us for a communal dinner dining experience where you’ll have the best seats in the house. Chef Raul Sanchez’s five -course chef’s table experience is a traditional Mexican menu which changes weekly to reflect seasonal ingredients.
Top 50 Top 50 from page 35 wine from the impressive list, and you’ll have one splendid fish tale to share with friends.
Costa COASTAL ITALIAN Very expensive Downtown. 320 Broad St. (843) 969-2555. costacharleston.com Serving dinner, (Mon.-Sat.)
Now located next to The Starlight Motor Inn For 5-course Chef’s Table dinner reservations, visit us at OpenTable.com 3225 Rivers Ave. • North Charleston • 843-202-0792 • raulsmayadelsol.com
Costa is a celebration of coastal Italian cuisine, drawing inspiration from Liguria to Amalfi and down to Sicily. The menu encourages sharing and savoring handmade pastas, pristine seafood, classic beef preparations and other culinary odes to the Mediterranean. Reflecting the convivial spirit of Italy, Costa is a welcoming space where culinary artistry converges with the joy of companionship. Guided by technical expertise and a sense of playful nostalgia, the kitchen delivers dishes that feel both refined and familiar. The fresh, bold fare is complemented by a thoughtfully curated beverage program featuring craft cocktails, bubbling aperitivi and globally sourced wines designed to enhance every meal. For more intimate gatherings, The Loft offers a private dining space ideal for celebrations, private events, and seasonal wine dinners, extending Costa’s warm hospitality beyond the main dining room.
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36 || DISH || Summer 2026
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INTERNATIONAL Moderate James Island. 1014 Fort Johnson Road (843) 872-5500 Edisonjamesisland.com Serving Dinner (Wed.-Sun.)
Be prepared for a loud experience at this place where you can taste the world with Lowcountry ingredients. Co-owner and chef Joel Lucas puts his culinary skills to work in the kitchen with creative takes on international cuisine by using a rotating seasonal menu that highlights local produce and seafood available in the area. Start dinner off with the Vietnamese pho taco made with hoisin pork, glass
noodles, cilantro, sprouts, ginger aioli and sriracha or the chef’s selection of charcuterie and cheeses, full-bodied sandwiches, soups and salads. Examples: the poached salmon burger, Thai chicken noodle soup and bistro steak salad. There also are hearty entrees like green curry meatballs, blackstrap braised beef short ribs with smoked gouda grits, pan-seared local swordfish with chimichurri, green peppercorns, asparagus and purple sweet potatoes.
Estadio TAPAS Moderate Downtown. 122 Spring St. estadio-chs.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.) and Lunch (Fri.-Sat.)
Estadio, which opened on Spring Street in October 2019, is technically the second outpost of a successful Washington, D.C., Spanish-style bar and tapas restaurant. The decor and the deep sherry and gin selection echo the D.C. original, but executive chef Jeremy Gozlan’s impressive menu is unique to Charleston. The pintxos and tapas — grilled shrimp on skewers, deviled eggs and caviar and matriano hash browns with black and white anchovies — offer beguiling little bites. Fresh local crudo and flat iron steak cooked with a poblano romesco and served with caramelized leek mashed potatoes are offered on the heavier side. With a slate of sherry cocktails, “gin tonics” made with rare Spanish brands and porróns of wine, Estadio brings a brilliant taste of Spain to the heart of downtown Charleston.
Gabrielle MODERN AMERICAN Very expensive Downtown. 404 King St. (843) 203-0922 hotelbennett.com Serving Lunch, Dinner
Located just steps from Marion Square, Gabrielle is Hotel Bennett’s signature dining destination, offering refined yet approachable cuisine in an elegant, light-filled setting. With indoor and outdoor
Our go-to restaurant list
seating overlooking Charleston’s iconic skyline, the menu showcases locally sourced ingredients with a Southern-European influence. Highlights include fresh seafood, house-made pastas, and expertly grilled meats, all complemented by a curated wine list and handcrafted cocktails. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Gabrielle is equally suited for relaxed daytime dining or a polished evening out.
The Grocery TERRANEAN TWIST Expensive Downtown. 4 Cannon St. (843) 302-8825. thegrocerycharleston.com Tues.-Sun. Dinner
Try the signature dish “crab and shrimp rice.” Salmon, shrimp and shark steak are three other hot items at lunch time. And don’t skip out on the traditional Southern sides including lima beans, okra soup, fried chicken, pork chops and collard greens.
Husk Restaurant NEW SOUTHERN Expensive Downtown. 76 Queen St. (843) 577-2500 huskrestaurant.com Serving Dinner (daily), Sat.-Sun. Brunch
The Grocery celebrates its 15th anniversary this year with Executive Chef and Owner Kevin Johnson and his team continuing to serve great “New Southern cuisine that isn’t bound by borders,” as stated on its website. This means dishes like fried oysters with deviled egg sauce and pickles; ricotta gnocchi with braised pork, Pattypan squash and sweet banana peppers; and the Lowcountry seafood pilau made with Charleston Gold rice, field peas, shrimp, clams and crispy fish. The inventive cocktails can change on occasion, but the “Dirty Green Tomato” has been on the menu since day one. It is the restaurant’s dirty martini using Hat Trick Botanical Gin and pickled green tomato brine – and it’s unmissable!.
Husk has outposts in Nashville and Savannah, but this location — housed in a white mansion on Queen Street — is the original. Here, the kitchen creates must-try marvels from executive chef Rick Ohlemacher Ray England, who focuses on bright but simple flavors that utilize Southern ingredients. Diners can enjoy dishes like cornmeal fried flounder with dirty rice and collard greens, green garlic mafalda with rabbit confit and seasonal veggies and a country fried pork chop served during brunch. There’s a welcoming, rustic atmosphere indoors, but if weather permits, sit out on the upstairs porch and enjoy what is, without hesitation, Southern food at its best. Pro tip: head to the recently revamped Bar & Patio where you don’t need a reservation to sip on inventive cocktails and small plates like snapper ceviche and country ham and cheese beignets.
Hannibal’s Kitchen
Jack of Cups Saloon
SOUL FOOD Inexpensive Downtown. 16 Blake St. (843) 722-2256 Hannibalkitchen.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Sun.-Sat.)
INTERNATIONAL Inexpensive Folly Beach. 34 Center St. (843) 633-0042 jackofcupssaloon.net Serving lunch, dinner (Wed.-Mon.)
Jack of Cups Saloon describes its cuisine as “globally inspired comfort food made with love,” and anyone who has dined here understands why. Jack of Cups co-owner and chef Lesley Carroll puts creativity and care into every dish she develops. Menu offerings rotate with the continued on page 38
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Hannibal’s Kitchen is a no-frills soul joint on the East Side of downtown Charleston that, according to owner L.J. Huger, has “been feeding the soul of the city” for more than 40 years. After serving the community for so many years, Hannibal’s has become an institution in the Charleston food scene. It was even listed on The New York Times 2021 top 50 restaurants in the country.
“Locally crafted knives that have earned praise from Sean Brock & Emeril Legasse.” - City Paper, Feb 2021
Top 50 Top 50 from page 37 seasons and incorporate unique, unexpected flavor combinations like the ever-popular red curry mac and cheese. Other unusual and delicious offerings that have popped up on the menu include Tom Kha Gai gnocchi, a traditional Vietnamese coconut broth-turned-sauce blended with a classic Italian dumpling, and Cap’N Crunch deviled eggs. Check the menu ahead of time to discover the latest Jack of Cups creations. One diner said this of the restaurant’s Cashew Korma: “I felt like I died and went to curry heaven.”
Jackrabbit Filly CHINESE Moderate North Charleston. 1083 E. Montague Ave. (843) 460-0037 jackrabbitfilly.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (Wed.-Sat.)
38 || DISH || Summer 2026
The menu at Jackrabbit Filly — Shuai and Corrie Wang’s brickand-mortar jump from their popular Short Grain food truck — takes quintessential Asian fare, and adds some vamp. The pork and cabbage dumplings are where Yangtze meets Ganges, with a rich mix of pork, cabbage, ginger and coriander encased inside the perfectly cooked pasta wrapper. Topped with a pungent chinkiang vinegar and Lao Gan Ma chili crisp sauce, the first bite is like suddenly finding something in life you hadn’t even realized was missing. Short Grain’s beloved karaage endures — the meat is juicy, the coating crunchy and the drizzle of lemon mayo and ponzu, along with some togarashi-induced heat, should be presented with the following disclaimer: “The karaage is a small structure made of chicken. It is delicious, and you are not ready for it.”
Kultura FILIPINO Moderate Downtown. 267 Rutledge Ave. kulturacharleston.com Serving Dinner (Thurs.-Mon)
Kultura recently moved to a new location, but the food still knocks
Rūta Smith file photo
The curry at Kultura features a grilled salmon filet, braised mung beans and tempura sweet potatoes over coconut red curry it out of the park. An homage to a Filipino grandmother’s home cooking, Kultura ties the fresh tastes of the Lowcountry to the Philippines with a focus on using as many local ingredients as possible. A must-try dish is the restaurant’s pancit made with rice noodles, local blue crab and vegetables in
a calamansi sauce. Make sure you try the Halo Halo cocktail — an enticing blend of purple yam (ube), pineapple, sake and oat milk. Also of note: You know you’ll get good food because Kultura’s chef, Nikko Cagalanan, was one of five 2024 nominees for Best Emerging Chef by the James Beard Foundation.
Kwei Fei CHINESE Moderate James Island. 1977 Maybank Highway kweifei.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
Set next door to Charleston Pour House, Kwei Fei is not subtle, from its chef to its food and its Its menu
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offers a wild ride, offering an array of appetizers, entrees and veggie-based sides sorted into blocks labeled “Loud,” “Hot” and “Vibes.” The crescent dumplings are an outstanding way to give your tastebuds a crash course in the events to come. Made with ground pork and redolent Sichuan pepper, the five plump dumplings are served in a soy-based, vinegary sauce and topped with fresh cilantro and chives. Hot, sour, salty, sweet: everyone’s here. On the “vibes” side of things, vegetarians are well-taken care of with the dry-fried green beans. Having rice makes sense and adds bulk to the dry, fried shiitakes and peppers, which are coated in sichuan peppercorn and fermented bean paste, served with mushrooms and of course, peppers.
opposite ends. Lewis’ “life changing’’ beef brisket is definitely the star. The infinitely tender meat has a salty, peppery crust and shines with melted fat. But there’s also juicy smoked turkey, pulled pork, pork ribs and Texas sausage called “hot guts” available and priced by the pound (or hot guts by the link). After your tray is filled with your order of meats, choose your sides from mustardy potato salad, lemon slaw, cowboy beans and rich green chile corn pudding.
Laura
Owner Heather Greene, working with chef Todd Garrigan and pastry chef Allison Brown, has created a comfortable follower for the space formerly occupied by much-loved Harold’s Cabin. The restaurant, which is open from 7:30 a.m. every day until 10 p.m., showcases locally-sourced dishes and craft cocktails designed around a seasonal menu. Breakfast offers house-made biscuits, lunch has a turkey pita pocket and dinner has a Cornish game hen with farro, veggies and a miso corn puree. The market offers fresh flowers, graband-go meals, wine, gifts and other provisions. An all-around winner.
ITALIAN Moderate Summerville. 101 N. Main St. (843) 738-6988 laurasummerville.com Serving Dinner (daily), Lunch (Fri.-Sat.), Sunday Brunch
Chef Nico Romo’s Summerville Italian restaurant, Laura (named after his grandmother), has something for the whole family. It also fills a need for more fine-dining options in the ‘burbs around Charleston. Laura serves food like a tomato tart with whipped ricotta, Neapolitan pizzas, classic fettuccine Alfredo, scallops with asparagus risotto and eggplant parmesan. Bonus: The covered outdoor patio is prepared for all weather conditions with fans and heaters.
Lewis Barbecue
Lewis’ building houses four custom-built smokers and a sausage smoker that can cook 1,600 links at a time, all hand-built by Lewis and his father. Once inside, you’ll queue up to have meat hand-sliced by one of two meat-cutters stationed behind a long counter directing you to
AMERICAN Moderate Upper Charleston. 247 Congress St. (843) 203-6698 lillianschs.com Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner (daily)
Lost Isle AMERICAN Moderate Johns Island. 3338 Maybank Highway lostislechs.com Serving Dinner. Daily.
Walking into this open-air, openfire concept feels a little like walking onto, well, a lost island. Quirky without trying too hard, this spot features chandeliers floating among the Spanish moss of live oak trees. Chef Josh Taylor, formerly of Root Note Food, has crafted a seasonally focused menu with frequently changing specials and dishes. The restaurant was listed as one of The New York Times’s 50 best restaurants continued on page 40
T hank y
FOR
ou
VOTING US
Best Mexican Restaurant Best Margarita Best Burrito Runner-Up Monday:
$5 Mojitos & Piña Coladas
Tuesday:
$3 Tacos (chicken, beef, pork) $5 Margaritas* Wednesday: $15 Dip trio Thursday: $25 Margarita pitchers* Friday: Happy Hour 3 to 6 *upcharges for flavor or liquor change
JOIN US AT ONE OF OUR THREE LOCATIONS!
West Ashley 1660 Savannah Hwy | Downtown 1302 Meeting St. Mt. Pleasant 1471 Ben Sawyer Blvd.
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BARBECUE Moderate to expensive Downtown. 464 N. Nassau St. (843) 805-9500 lewisbarbecue.com Serving Lunch, Dinner (daily)
Lillian’s Petite Market and Eatery
GUIDING YOUR STORY HOME
Top 50 Top 50 from page 39 in the United States in 2024 and Southern Living’s 2025 Restaurant of the Year.
Ma’am Saab PAKISTANI Moderate Charleston. 251 Meeting St. (843) 259-2660 MaamSaab.com Lunch, Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
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If you’re looking for “flavorland,” you should check out this elegant but non-white-tablecloth Pakistani restaurant that offers modern takes on time-tested dishes. Owner Raheel Gauba was part of a team that took Charleston by storm with authentic Pakistani comfort food, first as a pop-up in 2019. The newto-Charleston cuisine brought to the table dishes like lamb biryani or aloo gobi. You’ll also enjoy the rich, savory and spicy flavors of chicken tikka and butter chicken. And the fresh naan? It’s to die for.
Maya del Sol Kitchen MEXICAN Moderate North Charleston. 3225 Rivers Ave. (843) 202-0792 raulsmayadelsol.com Serving Lunch and Dinner (Wed.-Sat.), Sunday brunch.
CHARLESTON’S CANDY STORE FOR THE CARNIVORE
40 || DISH || Summer 2026
FROM WAGYU BEEF AND IBERICO PORK, GRASS-FED BEEF AND LOCALLY SOURCED CHICKEN AND PORK, TO CHEF-DESIGNED TAKE & BAKE MEALS AND SIDES, WINE AND BEER, SPICES AND RUBS.
Maya del Sol Kitchen is a passion project for Chef and Owner Raul Sanchez and it clearly shows. When the kitchen first opened in 2021, Sanchez started offering his popular five-course chef’s table. Recently reopening in the Starlight Motor Inn, the new location offers lunch and brunch — where you can find Mexican standards like pozole, tamales and tacos al pastor — plus a reservation-only, five-course chef’s table dinner. Pro-tip: Check social media for menu updates and more.
Marbled and Fin
BURBAGE-MEATS.COM
1033-A WAPPOO RD. | WEST ASHLEY | 843.789.4400
STEAKHOUSE Very expensive Downtown. 480 E ast Bay St. (843) 278-5488 marbledandfin.com Dinner nightly, Weekend brunch
If you’ve been in the market for a
new modern steakhouse — one that serves delicate, flavorful hamachi crudo alongside a big, bold bone-in tomahawk, look no further. The attention to detail at Neighborhood Dining Group’s latest begins the moment you step into Marbled and Fin — the vaulted ceilings and chic interior belie the building’s history as a dry cleaners. Reservations are recommended for the dining room at this buzzy new spot, but guests are always welcome to belly up to the 25-seat bar, first-come, first-served. The details continue to impress throughout the meal, from welcome cocktails to an evening-ending sweet bite. Be sure to try the broiled oysters and bone marrow appetizer. Made with herb bread crumbs, charred lemon and chimichurri, it’s the perfect mix of land and sea.
The Obstinate Daughter SEAFOOD/SOUTHERN Moderate Sullivan’s Island. 2063 Middle St. (843) 416-5020 theobstinatedaughter.com Serving Lunch (Mon.-Fri.), Dinner (daily), Weekend Brunch
At Obstinate Daughter, Jacques Larson — a two-time James Beard Award-nominated chef — serves a seasonal Southern menu influenced by French, Italian and Spanish cuisine. Think pizza, pasta, small plates and a raw bar highlighting the best that local ingredients have to offer. Griddled octopus comes with braised royal corona beans, escarole and dukkah and swordfish siciliana is served with green olives, capers, tomatoes, raisins and currant. The restaurant boasts a cheery, casual environment for enjoying Larson’s impressive parade of delicate but flavorful dishes.
The Ordinary SEAFOOD Expensive Downtown. 544 King St. (843) 414-7060 eattheordinary.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)
In December 2012, a historic King Street bank building found new life as an upscale oyster hall. The Ordinary — second child of Adam Nemirow and chef Mike Lata
“SELLING FROM CHARLESTON “SELLING FROM CHARLESTON “SELLING FROM CHARLESTON to the BEACHES” to the BEACHES”
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“SELLING FROM CHARLESTO to the BEACHES” “SELLING FROM CHARLESTON “SELLING FROM CHARLESTON
to the BEACHES” totothe BEACHES” the BEACHES”
“Outstanding service throughout my past service throughout my past 8 Charleston real“Outstanding estate transactions.” 8 Charleston real estate transactions.” ~P. Goodrich ~P. Goodrich
“Outstanding service throughout my past “Outstanding service throughout my past “Outstanding service throughout myestate past “Outstanding service throughout my past “I cannot recommend Katrina Johnson “I cannot recommend Katrina Johnson 8 Charleston real transactions.” 8 Charleston real estate transactions.” 8 Charleston real estate transactions.” “ ~G. McWhirter 8 Charleston real estate transactions.” highly enough... “highly ~G. enough... McWhirter ~P. Goodrich ~P. Goodrich ~P. Goodrich Goodrich I have~P. touched the scale for excellent and “Iseem cannot recommend Katrina Johnson I have touched the scale for excellent and it doesn’t to respond...” “I cannot recommend Katrina Johnson “I cannot recommend Katrina Johnson highly enough... “ ~G. McWhirter ~B. Crothers it doesn’t seem to respond...” “I cannot recommend Katrina highly “ ~G.Johnson McWhirter ~B. Crothers highly enough... “ ~G.enough... McWhirter
highly enough...I “have ~G.touched McWhirter *Over $500 SOLD* the scaleMillion for excellent and I have touched theitscale forseem excellent and doesn’t to respond...”
*Over $500 Million SOLD* I have touched the scale for excellent and it doesn’t to respond...” ~B. Crothers I have touched the scaleseem for excellent and it doesn’t seem to respond...” ~B. Crothers it doesn’t seem to respond...” ~B. Crothers *Over $500 Million SOLD* ~B. Crothers *Over $500 Million SOLD*
*Over $500 Million SOLD* *Over $500 Million SOLD*
Michael Hrizuk
Pitmaster Hector Garate has taken the barbecue scene by storm with his Palmira Barbecue creme fraiche and vibrant hot sauce, the combination is outstanding: cool, crisp and smoky all at once.
Katrina Johnson | 843.452.2747 | kjgroup@carolinaone.com Realtor, CRS, CNE, ABR, CBR
Experience Matters Palmira Barbecue Experience Matters Katrina Johnson | 843.452.2747 | kjgroup@carolinaone.com Experience Matters Katrina | 843.452.2747 | kjgroup@carolinaone.com Realtor, CRS, Johnson CNE, ABR, CBR BARBECUE Moderate 2366 Ashley River Road (843) 396-3473 palmirabarbecue.com Lunch and dinner (Wed. - Sun.)
Katrina Johnson | 843.452.2747 kjgroup@carolinaone.com Realtor,|CRS, CNE, ABR, CBR Realtor, CRS, CNE, ABR, CBR
Experience Matters Experience Matters Katrina Johnson | 843.452.2747 | kjgroup@carolinaone.com
Pitmaster Hector Garate has taken the barbecue scene by storm with food that is built on the great traditions from South Carolina to Texas, all informed by his home island of Puerto Rico. From house sausage to hot honey belly ribs to whole hog, you can’t go wrong with the menu at
charlestoncitypaper.com || 41
— opened with soaring 22-foot ceilings, the promise of locally sourced seafood and lots of buzz. The Ordinary was the first of its kind. While regularly packed and filled with an upbeat ambiance, The Ordinary’s high ceilings diffuse the jovial noise to a pleasant buzz. Along with six daily varieties of raw oysters on the half shell, the house-smoked oysters are not to be missed. Presented in an oil and vinegar-filled preserve jar and spiked with slices of crisp pickled celery, the six oysters are so gently smoked that they are still raw. As a result, each is tender and juicy, the delicate hint of ocean flavor touched with woodsy smoke. Served with fancied-up saltines (brushed with butter and Old Bay), rich, cold
Experience Matters
Katrina Johnson | 843.452.2747 | kjgroup@carolinaone.com Realtor, CRS, CNE, ABR, CBR Katrina Johnson | 843.452.2747 Realtor, CRS, CNE, ABR, CBR kjgroup@carolinaone.com Realtor, CRS, CNE, ABR, CBR
continued on page 42
Top 50 Top 50 from page 41
new experience every night. At both locations, enjoy intimate dining settings while getting up-close and personal with a rotating line up of chefs creating that night’s fivecourse meal. R Kitchen is quick to remind guests that it’s a kitchen, not a restaurant. The menu is always a surprise — to both diners and chefs, who create the dishes each morning based on what ingredients the kitchen received that day. On a recent trip to the West Ashley location, a loaded potato soup, short rib dish and French toast with bacon made an appearance on the menu. Be sure to make a reservation in advance as these kitchens fill quickly.
Palmira. Sides include Puerto Rican beans, mustard slaw and collard greens, and the barbacoa sandwich is a can’t miss. And it is not just the throngs on diners who have taken notice. The New York Times named the smoked beef cheeks one of the 23 best dishes they ate in 2025, and Garate competed on Pitmasters, Food Network’s new barbecue series, that premiered July 13.
Philosophia GREEK Moderate to expensive Mount Pleasant. 909 Houston Northcutt Blvd. (854) 227-5738 philosophiamountpleasant.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
Rancho Lewis TEX-MEX Moderate Charleston Neck, 1503 King St. (843) 996-4500 Rancholewischs.com Serving Lunch and Dinner (Mon.-Sun.)
This East Cooper restaurant blends the joy of dining with friendship and a menu that rocks Greek cuisine. “Amazingly good Greek food,” one satisfied gourmand said. Favorites include starters of pesto hummus and Greek pimento cheese and main dishes of pastitsio, whole branzino and stuffed leg of lamb. A delightful experience.
Pink Bellies
42 || DISH || Summer 2026
VIETNAMESE Moderate to Expensive Downtown. 595 King St., Suite 1 (843) 640-3132 eatpinkbellies.com Serving lunch, dinner, Thursday through Sunday
From humble beginnings as a food truck serving hungry College of Charleston students to a stall in former food hall Workshop, Pink Bellies has morphed into a bustling hot Vietnamese spot in midtown. Cult-followers enjoy Thai Phi’s spicy, decadent garlic noodles and other Vietnamese fare in a moody, yet vibrant dining room that brings a modern vibe to King Street. Other fan favorites include the spicy lamb dumplings and pho mai burger. Sample the cocktail menu’s Tres Coop Riff, a tequila-based cocktail with an orange creamsicle flavor that is smoked and topped with cinnamon chips for a s’mores flavor.
Jonathan Boncek
Philosophia’s octopus with chickpea salad and lemonscented extra virgin olive oil
Post House Restaurant MODERN AMERICAN Expensive Mount Pleasant. 101 Pitt St. (843) 203-7678 theposthouseinn.com Serving Dinner (daily); Weekend Brunch
Post House Restaurant opened in Mount Pleasant in August 2020 after undergoing significant renovations led by Kate and Ben Towill of design and hospitality firm Basic Projects (the restaurant was purchased by Indigo Road Hospitality Group in March 2025). You’ll find seasonal snacks, raw bar options, fresh pastas, local seafood and an assortment of vegetarian dishes at Post House. Local seafood massaman curry, Carolina heritage
farm pork with creamy kimchi collard greens and a “backbar” cheeseburger are some of the main dishes that pair with starters like lamb wraps or Anson Mills cornbread. Post House also features an expansive wine list, and those looking for a staycation can grab a room in the quaint inn connected to the restaurant.
R Kitchen CHEF’S TABLE Expensive Downtown. 212 Rutledge Ave. West Ashley. 1337 Ashley River Road. (843) 789-0725 rutledgekitchen.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)
R Kitchen brings diners an exciting
Barbecue chef extraordinaire John Lewis adds Tex-Mex to his culinary mix with Rancho Lewis, where he uses his favorite Hatch chiles in many dishes. The tortillas are made fresh onsite, and, if you can stray from the tempting tacos, the burger — made with brisket — is terrific. Don’t forget in-house classics like the Christmas burrito or fabulous enchiladas. If you’re looking for Mexican fresh, this is the place to visit. One diner raved: “Don’t leave without eating the steak fajitas. Period.”
Renzo PIZZA Moderate Downtown. 384 Huger St. (843) 952-7864 renzochs.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sat.)
This former storefront-turned-hip neighborhood trattoria has a wood-fired oven and knows how to use it. Along with tempting starters like ricotta gnudi, charred broccolini or cavatelli, the menu features a trio of pastas, plus an array of creative Neapolitan-style pizzas. Feeling adventurous? The Cheli offers a tomato base with lamb sausage, tangy pickled peppers, honey and za’atar. There’s
Our go-to restaurant list
Jonathan Boncek
R Kitchen serves a rotating five-course meal a bagel brunch on Sundays, plus Renzo offers one of the area’s largest selections of natural wine.
scratch a variety of seafood itches on Johns Island.
Royal Tern
SEAFOOD Moderate Downtown. 334 East Bay St. (843) 720-8568 shikicharleston.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)
SEAFOOD Expensive Johns Island. 3005 Maybank Highway (843) 718-3434 theroyaltern.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)
One of downtown’s longest standing restaurants, SHIKI delivers fresh sushi rolls, nigiri and more. Opened in 2001 by New York sushi chef Gon “David” Park, his son, James Park, has taken over the restaurant, prized for its highest-quality fish and sushi technique for making rolls, sashimi and nigiri. Patrons who want to go big can order the chef’s choice “omakase,” which translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” in Japanese. For less devout sushi enthusiasts, there are approachable options like tempura shrimp and avocado rolls, teriyaki beef, pork katsu and more. Shiki’s menu hasn’t changed much over the years, but why would it, as the restaurant helps fill a void in a city that has very few sushi-focused restaurants. Next time you’re in the mood for high-quality sushi, give this family-owned and operated restaurant a try. continued on page 44
FUN TEAM BUILDING, TOO!
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO BOOK YOUR NEXT XSCAPE! XSCAPEWORKS.COM 2430 AIR PARK RD. | NORTH CHARLESTON JUST OFF I26 NEAR 526
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Set on Johns Island, The Royal Tern is a welcome and well-positioned addition to that existing pair of successful Maybank Highway restaurants. With a focus on fish, the menu offers an aquarium-full of options. Along with a raw bar, there are a handful of sandwiches, a half-dozen seafood entrees and a hat trick of wood-fired steaks. The building is also glorious. Outside, it’s effortlessly stylish and would look just as appropriate nestled amongst a row of upscale beachfront estates. Inside, the chic, airy space boasts wood floors and high ceilings adorned with dramatic lights that resemble giant clusters of white grapes. The interior incorporates a number of current trends, including an open kitchen, marble-topped bar and miles of banquette seating. One of the best-looking joints in the area, The Royal Tern offers a hip place to
SHIKI
SC’S LARGEST ESCAPE EXPERIENCE
Top 50 Top 50 from page 43
Sorelle ITALIAN Expensive Downtown, 88 Broad St. (843) 974-1575 Sorellecharleston.com Serving dinner (Mon.-Sun.)
If you consider yourself a foodie, then chances are you’ve heard of Sorelle, one of the hottest and most talked about restaurants of the year so far. It’s a partnership between chefs Adam Sobel and Nick Dugan, bringing their take on classic southern Italian cuisine to the South. Everything on the menu is “a banger,” said one diner who managed to get in. A great combo, he salivated, would be to order the pane (bread) with fougasse, roasted garlic and olive oil, the cavatelli al tartufo (a mushroom pasta) with ricotta dumplings and truffle parmesan, and the pasta-baked branzino for a dinner to die for. Note: While it’s hard to get a dinner reservation here, its attached store (mercado) is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a quick bite.
Southbound
44 || DISH || Summer 2026
LIVE-FIRE COOKING Expensive Downtown, 72 Cannon St. (843) 823-0212 Southboundchs.com Serving Dinner, (Mon.-Sun)
Live-fire cooking takes center stage at this new Cannon Street restaurant from the same folks behind Mount Pleasant’s Community Table and BarPizza, formerly Kiki and Rye. The elegant two-story dining room is located inside a historic home, which features a large wood-fire grill on the first floor. The menu, which changes daily and is posted to Facebook and Instagram each day by 3 p.m., makes great use of the grill with items such as dryaged steak tartare with smoked egg, grilled toast and miso butter, coal-roasted Spanish octopus and grilled bone marrow with fried oysters. Examples of heartier entrees include an Australian lamb chop, crispy Orvia duck and
housemade cavatelli with braised rabbit sugo.
Stella’s GREEK Moderate Downtown. 114 St. Philip St. (843) 400-0026 stellascharleston.com Serving Dinner (Mon.-Sat.)
It’s hard to say what’s most striking about Stella’s on St. Philip Street. Is it the hip, yet boisterous vibe? The large portions at an incredibly reasonable price point? Or the vast, authentic and consistently delicious menu? Regardless of your ultimate conclusion, this is a trifecta worth a visit… or five. The grilled octopus and spanakopita are simple perfection, while the saganaki is a visual showstopper and an excuse to pig out on cheese. Stella’s own recipes — namely her calamari and braised lamb shank with No. 5 noodles and brown butter shank sauce, are at once comforting and elevated, testimony to the woman who inspired it all.
Sullivan’s Fish Camp SEAFOOD Moderate to expensive Sullivan’s Island. 2019 Middle St. (843) 883-2100 Serving lunch and dinner daily
Sullivan’s Fish Camp opened in May 2022, an homage to the original Sullivan’s Seafood Restaurant that stood in the same spot from 1988 to 2020. FIG alum and James Beard award-winner Jason Stanhope joined the team as chef and partner in March 2025, bringing his own spin to the classic fish camp vibes with his modern seafood mastery. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner with brunch service on the weekend. Look for classics like peel-and-eat shrimp, smoked fish dip, hush puppy tots, lobster roll, crispy fish sandwich and Lowcountry boil. If you’re not feeling seafood, fear not. Stanhope serves several salads, including his trademark celery salad with walnuts, cheddar and dates as well as dishes like steak frites and an outstanding double cheeseburger.
Our go-to restaurant list
Sushi-Wa SUSHI Expensive Downtown. 1503 King St. Extension (843) 735-8633 Sushiwacharleston.com Serving dinner (Wed.-Sun.)
If you’re looking for an intimate date night with your significant other and a rare experience in the Southeast, head to Sushi Wa. This restaurant brings the traditional Japanese omakase dining experience to the Lowcountry, with chefs and owners Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler taking your taste buds on a culinary journey. The chefs curate what you eat during a special multi-course meal with decisions based on something pre-determined by the chef. Book a night out on Resy, or if you’re lucky by following on Instagram, you might be able to snag a lastminute spot.
The James American Grill AMERICAN FARE Moderate to expensive James Island. 1939A Maybank Highway (843)278-1066 thejameschs.com Serving Lunch (Wed.-Sun.) and Dinner (all week)
A relatively new location for fine dining on James Island, The James American Grill blends the feel of a neighborhood joint with comfortable elegance. It offers lots of nice touches – sumptuous Parker House rolls, tasty lump crab cakes with flair and fresh fish that soothes and nourishes. If you want an extra special treat, start with the creamy, rich mushroom soup with a hint of sherry that is topped by flaky pastry. Also enjoy the cozy bar and its satisfying drinks, including a rockin’ martini.
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Kids options, smash burgers, empanadas, Latin fries, rice bowls, gluten & vegan options! Two locations Netherby lane, n chs Wyrd sisters brewery, park circle smashleysburgerbar.com 843.996.4619 Or order online
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Top 50 Top 50 from page 45
Vern’s NEW AMERICAN Expensive Downtown. 41 Bogard St. vernschs.com Serving dinner (Thurs.-Mon.), weekend brunch
Tucked on the corner of Bogard and Ashe streets, Vern’s is the definition of a friendly neighborhood dining spot. And boy, is it popular. This New American restaurant offers family-style meals, which allow everyone at a table to enjoy dishes like gnochetti sardi, a rich and creamy gnocchi dish with arugula and walnut pesto, or the bavette steak with a sweet-tart balsamic glaze. If you get the chance to stop by for weekend brunch, don’t miss the sesame seed pancakes that embrace slices of local fruit and whipped ricotta for a delicate balance of sweet, creamy and nutty flavors. This, however, is a dish you might not want to share.
Wild Common
46 || DISH || Summer 2026
MODERN AMERICAN Expensive Downtown. 103 Spring St. wildcommoncharleston.com Serving dinner (Wed.-Sun.)
Wild Common is a modern tasting-menu restaurant celebrated for its elevated multi-course dining experience. Under Executive Chef Orlando Pagán, the kitchen presents globally inspired cuisine rooted in lowcountry ingredients and traditions. Its intimate setting, technique-driven approach and dedication to exceptional hospitality have earned national acclaim, including a Michelin Star. The restaurant’s ever-evolving tasting menu highlights regional sourcing, supported by a close partnership with Dogpatch Farmstead. Guests can dine in the main dining room, reserve The Overlook for private gatherings and special celebrations or experience the Chef’s Counter for an interactive, behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen. In addition to its culinary offerings, Wild Common maintains a collaboration with the Charleston Artist Collective,
Andrew Cebulka
Wild Olive has been serving Italian food on Johns Island since 2009 presenting a rotating selection of Lowcountry artists’ works throughout the dining room and on its menus.
Wild Olive ITALIAN Expensive Johns Island. 2867 Maybank Highway (843) 737-4177 wildoliverestaurant.com Serving Dinner (daily)
Right off Maybank Highway sits Wild Olive, chef Jacques Larson’s haven for exquisite Italian fare. Since 2009, it has served as the go-to place for anniversary dinners and reunions with old friends. A comfortable bar greets those looking for a casual bite, but don’t let that relaxed atmosphere deceive you. Larson’s food is anything but. Incredible (and decadent) risotto fritters stuffed with sausage, spinach, Parmesan and mozzarella are a great way to start. And always ask about the specials, of which there are plenty. A past highlight was a pappardelle with prosciutto, pork and escarole. Larson is a firm believer in local and his conviction
permeates everything on the plate.
all get to try a bunch of stuff.”
XO Brasserie
The Restaurant at Zero George
CHINESE Expensive Downtown. 1090 Morrison Drive (843) 969-1896 xobchs.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)
Xo Brasserie serves updated Cantonese and Sichuan-influenced cuisine at 1090 Morrison Drive. Owner Herman Ng partnered with executive chef Michael Chanthavong to create a modern Chinese American menu, with dishes like vegetarian Ma Po Tofu, salt and pepper shrimp and crab rangoon. In addition to curating the menu’s flavors, Ng and his team carefully created a buzzy space inside the new, multi-use building on Morrison Drive. Brasserie’s interior features clean lines, moody lighting, leafy plants and special touches, like a large custom wine rack. Some of the larger tables feature big lazy-Susans that play into Ng’s goal of family-style dining. “It’s how I grew up,” he said. “You order a bunch of different dishes, and you
MODERN AMERICAN Very expensive Downtown. 0 George St. (843) 817-7900 zerogeorge.com Serving Dinner (Tues.-Sun.)
The Restaurant at Zero George is an intimate fine-dining restaurant offering contemporary cuisine in an elegant, residential setting inside Zero George hotel. Led by Executive Chef Vinson Petrillo, the restaurant offers a refined, multi-course tasting menu that showcases seasonal ingredients through innovative techniques and thoughtful composition. Complementing the dining room is the Caviar Bar, a sophisticated yet welcoming space dedicated to premium caviar and thoughtful accompaniments. The bar welcomes walk-ins, offering a light snack menu alongside a rotating selection of seasonal cocktails and zero-proof options, creating a polished prelude or relaxed counterpart to the tasting menu experience.
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C P Hotlist INTRODUCING THE
Here’s where to go if you’re looking for something new By City Paper staff This issue’s CP Hotlist shines a spotlight on notable, relatively new hot restaurants that impress our cuisine team. We encourage you to check them out and let us know whether you think they should be added to our Top 50 list. Now on the CP Hotlist (in alphabetical order):
48 || DISH || Summer 2026
Curry Palace (2026), West Ashley. Newly opened Curry Palace comes from the team behind Taste of India and is in the former La Bonne Franquette space at 652 St. Andrews Blvd. The menu is a greatest hits of Indian favorites and the food and service offer the same consistency that Charlestonians have come to love at Taste of India. The lunch special is also one of the best deals in town. Available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day, the $12 lunch box gives you the option of chicken, goat, lamb and vegetarian and the thalis (complete lunch platters) are enough for two meals. The “special thali” has chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, lamb or goat, two vegetables, dal, rice, naan, salad and dessert for $16. Moderate. currypalacechs.com. Serving lunch and dinner daily, 11 a.m. through 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. through 10 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. King BBQ (2023), North Charleston. King BBQ comes from Shuai and Corrie Wang, the husband-wife duo behind Jackrabbit Filly. Named one of Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants in 2024, King’s momentum has stayed strong and Shuai was on Season 22 of Top Chef, making it to the finale. The couple opened the
restaurant because they wanted more Chinese food spots in Charleston and Beijing-born Shuai missed the food he grew up eating in Flushing, N.Y. The menu has fried ribs, moo shu chopped smoked pork, BBQ red rice, Sichuan collards, a five spice rotisserie chicken and the list goes on and on. While you can’t go wrong with any order, make sure you get the shrimp toast sliders served with government cheese, shaved onion, dilly pickles and tartar sauce on a King’s Hawaiian roll. It might just be the best bite in Charleston. Moderate. eatkingbbq.com. Open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Merci (2025), Downtown. Neighborhood bistro, Merci, from chef Michael Zentner and his wife Courtney, opened at 28 Pitt Street this March. The Europeaninspired restaurant features a small but mighty menu in a cozy, 1820’s Federal-style building, with a dining room that seats just under 30 diners. Merci’s current, carefully honed list of offerings
Courtesy King BBQ
King BBQ comes from Shuai and Corrie Wang, the husband-and-wife duo behind Jackrabbit Filly
Becky Lacey
Newly opened Curry Palace comes from the team behind Taste of India features dishes like focaccia stracciatella with Benton’s ham and pistachio; spring pea salad with boucheron and green goddess dressing and striped bass with white bean fondue, fennel and olives. Expensive. merchichs.com. Dinner, Wednesday through Saturday. Shokudô (2025), Downtown. This modern Japanese izakaya (tavern) is the latest restaurant on the peninsula from prolific Indigo Road Hospitality Group. Tokyo native Chef Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya has created a menu meant to be shared. The robata grill is the centerpiece of the kitchen, and grilled items join dishes like ramen, tempura, dumplings and handrolls. The karaage chicken namban is a signature dish of fried chicken thighs with egg salad and masaracha, chef’s house-made hot sauce. The whole tempura fish is served with orange ponzu. Desserts are a must. Hamaya’s Golden Arches hand pie is an unmissable homage to McDonald’s with roasted South Carolina apple, butterscotch, butter crust and miso caramel. The Japanese beer garden out
back is energized by neon signage and a drink menu of lagers from Japan and an impressive sake list. Moderate. shokudochs.com. Open at 4p.m. daily. Tutti (2025), Downtown. Femi Oyediran and Miles White, co-owners of Charleston’s Graft Wine Shop, have brought the same expert touch to pizza that they brought to wine. Tutti opened next door to Graft earlier this year and offers thin crust pizza (aka “round”) and thick, focaccia-like pizza (aka “square”). You can pick a red or white sauce for the foundation and then sky’s the limit with toppings. Tutti’s wine program features by-theglass and bottle offerings and highlights the same types of organic, biodynamic, low-intervention or sustainably farmed wines on its menu. And for those that prefer to eat their pizza in pajamas on the couch, Tutti offers a handy to-go window. Pro tip: add sesame seeds to your square pizza for an umami flavor bomb. Moderate. tuttipizzachs.com. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Lunch Friday through Sunday.
Restaurant Listings Index In alphabetical order.
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Charleston Classics 82 Queen (1982)....................................28 Bertha’s Kitchen (1981).......................28 Bowens Island Restaurant (1946)....28 Dave’s Carry-Out (1997).....................28 FIG (2003)...............................................30 G&M Fast and French (1984).............30 Halls Chophouse (2009) ....................30 Oak Steakhouse (2005)......................30 Peninsula Grill (1997)...........................31 Slightly North of Broad (1993)..........31 The Dish Top 50 167 Raw Oyster Bar..............................33 Basic Kitchen.........................................33 Berkeley’s ...............................................33 Bintü Atelier............................................34 Bistronomy by Nico..............................34 Cane Pazzo.............................................34 Chef Loong Dim Sum...........................35 Chez Nous...............................................35 Chubby Fish............................................35 Coda del Pesce......................................35 Costa........................................................36 Edison James Island.............................36 Estadio.....................................................36 Gabrielle..................................................36 The Grocery............................................37 Hannibal’s Kitchen................................37 Husk Restaurant...................................37 Jack of Cups Saloon.............................37 Jackrabbit Filly.......................................38 Kultura.....................................................38 Kwei Fei....................................................38 Laura.........................................................39
Lewis Barbecue.....................................39 Lillian’s Petite Market & Eatery.........39 Lost Isle....................................................39 Ma’am Saab............................................40 Maya del Sol Kitchen...........................40 Marbled and Fin....................................40 The Obstinate Daughter.....................40 The Ordinary..........................................40 Palmira Barbecue.................................41 Philosophia.............................................42 Pink Bellies..............................................42 Post House Restaurant.......................42 R Kitchen.................................................42 Rancho Lewis.........................................42 Renzo.......................................................42 Royal Tern...............................................43 SHIKI.........................................................43 Sorelle......................................................44 Southbound ..........................................44 Stella’s......................................................44 Sullivan’s Fish Camp.............................44 Sushi-Wa.................................................45 The James American Grill .................45 Vern’s........................................................46 Wild Common .......................................46 Wild Olive.................................................46 XO Brasserie ..........................................46 The Restaurant at Zero George........46
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The CP Hotlist for Summer 2026 Cane Pazzo.............................................48 Merci.........................................................48 Palmira Barbecue.................................48 Shokudô..................................................48 Tutti ..........................................................48
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39 Rue de Jean Bohemian Bull Bowens Island Restaurant Burbage Meats Burris Liquor Store Carolina One - Katrina Johnson Cedar Creek Tavern Charleston Oyster House Charleston Wine + Food Fin and Crab Fred Anderson Toyota Frothy Beard Brewery Gaulart & Maliclet /Fast & French Gene’s Haufbrau Guilty Pleasures Halls Chophouse Holey City Bagels Holy City Brewing Indigo Road Hospitality Group Island Candles Jeff’s Bagel Run
ESSAY
COMING TOGETHER Why friendship can be a valuable business asset
50 || DISH || Summer 2026
By Jillian Schenzel People often ask Michelle Kauczka and me how we met, which seems an obvious question. But that question asks so much more. How did two women with wildly different personalities, communication styles and ways of moving through the world decide to open a wine bar together? The truth is we spent years orbiting one another before we became friends and eventually business partners. In many ways, our story mirrors the very thing that inspired the bar’s name. Sonder is the realization that every person around us is living a life as vivid and complex as our own. For us, we simplify this to mean “journey,” the winding paths we travel that shape who we become. Michelle and I arrived at this moment from very different directions, but our journey was similar. Like many women in this industry, we believed hard work was the answer to everything. We hustled. We tried to outwork everyone around us, convinced that if we cared more and worked longer hours, we’d eventually earn the respect we deserved. Most women can relate to that mentality. Michelle built her career in wine distribution, education and sales. I never planned on a life in hospitality. Once here, I came up on the restaurant side in ownership, food, operations and finance — the thousand daily decisions that keep a business alive. Ironically, we’d actually met at a Christmas party years before we became friends. It was likely our first public outing postpartum, trying to drink as much wine and talk to as many adults as we could. Five years later, we crossed paths again at a birthday party. Our daughters, those same babies from that Christmas party all those years before, had become best friends. I guess in many ways, motherhood brought us together. Or maybe, like so many friendships in adulthood, the timing was finally right. Finding meaningful friendships in your forties is a foreign, almost radical idea. Finding one while raising children, building a career and navigating entrepreneurship feels nearly impossible. But we became fast friends — the kind of friends who could spend hours talking about anything. Pretty quickly, those conversations became Sonder. Sonder came together organically. I understood the restaurant market and had been quietly carrying around the idea of opening a wine bar for years. Michelle possessed something I didn’t: an incredible depth of wine knowledge and a genuine passion for sharing it. For decades, the wine industry has felt exclusive. The language and culture can feel inaccessible and the environment is over-
Jillian Schenzel (left) and Michelle Kauczka Ashley Stanol
whelming. In short, wine can be intimidating. Michelle and I wanted to challenge that. We wanted a place where someone doing a blind tasting while studying for a sommelier exam could sit next to someone ordering their first glass of orange wine and both would feel equally welcome. We wanted to build a space where questions are encouraged, learning is optional and trying something new can feel fun. One of our first conversations about Sonder was that we wanted it to be a library for wine. The irony is that Michelle and I could not be more different. We communicate differently. We solve problems differently. We show appreciation differently. And yet those differences are what make our partnership work. Where one of us sees details, the other sees the bigger picture. One of us pushes, the other pauses. Where one is stressed by urgency, the other sees calm. One of us leads with logic, the other leads with instinct. We’ve learned that successful partnerships aren’t built on sameness. They’re built on trust. Opening a business isn’t romantic. Friendship, an underrated business asset, carried us through. It creates honesty
and accountability. It allows difficult conversations to happen without damaging the relationship underneath. Perhaps, most importantly, it reminds you why you started in the first place. What brought Michelle and me together as friends was mutual respect, but what kept us together was making time for one other. It was long conversations that turned strangers into friends, mothers meeting in between soccer pick-ups and family dinners, friends celebrating milestones and showing up at a moment’s notice. We were two women who couldn’t be more different becoming lifelong friends and business partners. That’s exactly the community we want to build at Sonder. Maybe that’s what being a female entrepreneur, a mother and a woman in her forties teaches you — how to trust yourself enough to embrace the detours and to recognize that sometimes the most meaningful journeys are the ones you never planned to take at all.
Jillian Schenzel and Michelle Kauczka are co-owners of Sonder, 90 Cannon St., Charleston.
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WHERE WILL YOUR DREAMS TAKE YOU? “I enjoy baking. It’s my passion. It’s my peace. I hope that I inspire my friends and family to follow their dreams.”
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Baking and Pastry Arts